Sanitary valve system



1937- w. A. RICHARD SON SANITARY VALVE SYSTEM 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Jan. 29, 1936 I INVENTOR W/l/AM 'A R/CHARDSON ATTORNEY Jan. 12, 1937. w. A. RICHARDSON SANITARY VALVE SYSTEM Filed Jan. 29, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 AFL `INVENTOR WALL/AM A. R/CHARDJON BY AT'NEY Patented Jan. 12, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 O. G. 757) My invention relates broadly to a sanitary valve system and more particularly to a valve system for bath tubs.

Many patients in hospitals, invalids and persons subject to heart attacks, realize the danger in using a bath tub of the common variety and dislike such use due to fear of drowning during a lapse of consciousness. Such individuals often resort to shower baths or other forms of bathing, all of which are more or less unsatisfactory Also, it is not an unusual occurrence for a mother while bathing a small child, to be called to another part of a home to answer an emergency. Considerable danger to a small child or patient is always present when left alone in a tub of water, but to remain until the tub is emptied is not always convenient for the nurse or mother. However, with a tub equipped with the present invention properly adjusted, an invalid may bathe without fear or a mother may leave her child knowing that the tub will be automatically emptied before harm might befall them.

An object of the present invention is to overcome the above dsadvantages by providing a valve system that will permit automatic emptying of the tub after a predetermined time interval.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a valve system for a bath tub having auxiliary means to control the waste pipe stopper or valve, said means becoming operable after a predetermined interval of time.

With the above and other objects in View, the invention consists in the Construction, combination and arrangements of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described.

Reference is to be had. to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specificaton in which like reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several Views and in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional View of a bath tub with the usual plumbing installation and the control fixtures for my invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear view of Fig. l showing my in- Vention in operative position;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3--3 of Fig. l showing the auxiliary control means for the waste stopper;

Fig. 4 is a sectional View of the timing valve ior the auxiliary control means;

Fig. 5 is a front view of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a sectional View of the valve used in the drain of the auxiliary control means, taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2.

Referring more particularly to Figs 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, o indicates a bath tub suitably placed in an enclosure defined by the walls or partitions ll, and having the usual hot and cold water Controls |2 and I 3, inlet l4 and outlet or drain !5.

The valve system of the present invention, placed behind one of the walls or partitions preferably at the head of the tub, consists of a tank containing a fioat, connections from the float to the tub drain whereby the latter may be automatically emptied by the action of the float and a means for draining the tank.

The tank !6 is filled through a connection ll leading from the tub, the flow through this connection being regulated by a valve that permits the tank to be filled in a predetermined time. The valve, shown in detail in Fig. 4, consists of a body !8 suitably joined to the connection ll and a stem !9 of the type usually employed in household water taps, seating on a seat 20. The stem is screw-threaded through a cap 2! suitably attached to the valve body, and is adjusted by a knob 22 mounted on the stem. As shown in Fig. 3 this knob is Conveniently located to one using the tub. The cap 21 is desirably calibrated in time interval units, and the position of stem within the valve is indicated by a pointer 23 on the knob sweeping over the calibrations. A plurality of openings 24 through the cap permit the contents of the tub to flow through the valve into the tank when the valve is open. By proper setting of the stem, the tank may be filled in any desired predetermined time interval, say, for example, from one to four minutes.

The contents of the tank empty into the main drain 25 from the tub through a pipe line 26 leading from the bottom of the tank, and in which there is a valve 21. This valve, shown in detail in Fig. 6, is similar to any globe valve except that it has a small drain hole 28 through the valve seat partition 29 to permit the tank to be drained if, by any chance, it should not be manually emptied. The valve stem 30 is preferably screw-threaded through the valve casing and is controlled by a rod 3! connected to it by an arm 32, the rod 3! being suitably linked to a member 33 passing through the wall or partition II in ready access to a user of the tub, as may be seen in Fig. 3. The threads on the stem are of such a nature and have the necessary pitch whereby a small rotatable movement in the member 33 will remove the stem from its seat a distance sufiicient to permit uninterrupted flow through the valve.

The waste stopper 34 for the tub is contained in a stand-pipe 35, and is controlled by the fixture 36 through bar 31 and linkage 38. In addition to the manual operation of the stopper by means of the fixture 36, automatic operation is provided by the fioatthat is connected to the stopper by an angle bar 39, so that when the contents of the tank rise lifting the fioat, the stopper will also be lifted to empty the tub.

In order to support the weight of the fioat and to prevent movement of the Waste stopper When the fioat is not supported by the contents of the tank, I provide a catch or locking device for the bar 37. This catch consists of a member 40 fixedly mounted on the wall or partition ll and having a serrated face Al. ing handle 42, secured to the bar 31, carries a spring actuated detent 43 which normally engages with the teeth of the serrated face to prevent movement of the bar in but one direction until it is released manually.

In use, the tub is filled to a point above the tank inlet ll, the valve |9 being set for the time in which it is desired the tank to be filled. If at the expiration of the predetermined time the bather experiences no ill effects while in the water, he empties the tank by means of the member 33, closes the valve in the tank inlet so that the tank will not be refilled, and then completes his bath. Should the bather feel ill effects, even to the point of unconsciousness, the fioat in the tank will be lifted by the rising Waters, auto matically opening the Waste stopper to empty the tub thereby removing the probability of the bather drowning While in a state of coma.

It Will be understood that the above description and accompanying drawings comprehend only the general and preferred embodiment of my invention and that various changes in construction, proportion and arrangement of parts may be made within the scope of the appended claims without sacrificing any of the advantages of my invention.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental An operat purposes without the payment of any roya lties thereon or therefor.

What I claim as new is: r

l. In combination with a bath tub having a filling means and a discharge means, a means for automatically Operating the discharge means to empty the tub.

2. In combination with a bath tub having a filling means and discharge means,`means for Operating the discharge means to empty the tub after a predetermined time interval.

3. In combination with a bath tub having a filling means and a discharge means, an auxiliary control means for the discharge means operable by the contents from the tub whereby the tub is emptied of its contents.

4. In combination with a bath tub having a filling means and a discharge means, a tank filled. by the contents of the tub, means connecting the tub and tank for regulating the time interval in which the tank may be filled, and a fioat in the tank for automatically Operating the discharge means as the tank is filled.

5. In combination with a bath tub having a filling means and a dscharge means, means for manually Operating the discharge means, and means connected to said manually operated means for automatically Operating the same after a predetermned time interval to empty the tub of its contents.

6. In combination with a bath tub having a filling means and a discharge means, a tank filled by the contents of the tub, means for regulating the rate at which the tank isfilled, emptying means connecting the tank and discharge means, a manually operated means for emptying the tank, and means in the tank for automatically Operating the discharge means.

7. In combination with a bath tub, a sanitary valve system including a manual ly operated valve for emptying the tub, a means for automatically Operating said valve, and means for arresting the manually and automatically operated means.

WILLIAM A. RICHARDSON. 

